Chevrolet Volt at the 2013

Much has been said about electric cars, but usually the conversation revolves solely around its fuel economy and ecological approach. It is very rare to hear someone bragging about how his electric ship has good bite, a luxurious interior and everything usually found only in high-end cars. Well, after driving the Chevrolet Volt at the 2013 NAIAS we can begin to have that conversation, because this car is a big step for electric cars in those areas.

The first thing one notices the Volt is its size. It is not tiny like a Prius, a Leaf or Smart. It is rather a full sedan with good trunk and a very spacious interior. The back seat comes with its armrest seats for vessels and independent climate. To top Volt performance falls short of many cars in the same range that run on gasoline. Its maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour and accelerates from 0 to 100 in less than 9 seconds.

In other words, it has the features of an economy car and that’s OK because it’s not. In the United States it costs nearly $ 40,000, though that is substantially reduced thanks to the return of $ 7,500 in taxes offered by the government of that country to stimulate the purchase of electric cars.

While it is remarkable the beautiful presentation of the car, most notably the Volt is undoubtedly its technology. The board is fully digital and the console that controls the radio, air conditioning and other functions straight out of a futuristic movie. Maybe even he’s gone their hands and many people prefer something a little more traditional and not so many lights, glitter and information.

However, we do appreciate that sort of thing will feel in paradise driving a Volt. The board not only shows how much battery and gasoline have the car but helps the driver to handle intelligently to optimize the range of the vehicle. Thanks to this system, Chevrolet says the car can last almost 1,600 kilometers on the roads between each refueled, although this depends on the load the vehicle with pilot trial.

The futuristic dashboard also shows how it is behaving the hybrid system when the car is going to detail the electric motor to power the wheels, when you use the gasoline engine to maximize performance and energy when passing combustion engine power to help the car last longer without going to a bomb.

For some, the board will be a striking appearance while for others it is too futuristic and plastic. Photo: Luis Iregui.
Another advantage of the Volt is that as a good electric car, its engine is almost silent (though not as amazing as that of a hydrogen-powered car, as we were). A soft whisper is all that exposes the engine and simply can not compare with the roar of conventional cars. This will be good or bad depending on the driver, because there are those who love to listen to the pistons revolutionized.

Speaking of which, like the electric engine is not revolutionizing, it responds better than gasoline when you step on the gas. Another particularly appealing to those who live in the height advantage is that, as no combustion process, meters above sea level do not affect the performance of the machine (unless, of course, need to take action engine Internal combustion).

However, like any electric car, it has a considerable disadvantage. It can last just over 60 kilometers without using the combustion engine, and as takes several hours to charge, that makes over long distances lose much of its charm. In the best of cases-say, buying a special charger 240 Volt watts- the delay between 3 and 4 hours to charge. If the user connects to the wall of the house, the timeout is triggered and involves 10 hours of patience to achieve a full charge.

Chevrolet failed to give answers at the fair on its availability in Colombia, but its success around the world bodes well for coming to the land of the Sacred Heart